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Are you looking for a new death metal band? If the answer is yes, and the reasons that you listen to death metal music are fast guitar riffs, hyper-intense drums and dark lyrics, try Zonaria’s Infamy and the Breed.  Back in the 90’s, when I heard my first death metal band, it was also from a Scandinavian country. I have been fascinated by Scandinavian countries, their folk tales, beautiful landscapes and gorgeous women, but death metal music was the last thing I expected from there. However, nowadays many good death/doom metal bands seem to be coming from Sweden, Finland and Norway.

Infamy and the Breed is the full length debut album of Swedish death metal band Zonaria. You can find everything you expect from a death metal band in this album - heavy guitar riffs, super-fast kick-ass drums, doomsday lyrics and grunting vocals.

As expected, most tracks are heavy and dark, with speeds changing between moderate and fast, and vocals and guitars are competing for the lowest tunes. However, this is not the only sound you will hear. The melodic rock beginning of “The Black Omen” is addictive and has something that many of today’s mainstream rock bands lack. There are melodic parts in some of the other songs as well, but don’t mistake this band for a melodic metal band. It is hardcore death/doom metal without any doubt.

There are two minor complaints: The vocals and the lyrics. The vocals don’t seem to change a whole lot during the album, and while death metal is not exactly known for melodic vocals, one would still expect a bit of change here and there. The lyrics quite often don’t “tell a story”, but rather just put some statements about imminent apocalypse, doom and destruction together. Here, a bit more depth would be desirable.

Try not to listen to this CD during driving. First of all, it will be even harder to understand the lyrics, and more importantly, you may become too aggressive, and go beyond the speed limit. Nevertheless, this is not meant in a negative way.

Be prepared for some serious ear workout, since this album is definitely not for the faint of heart. But if you enjoy this kind of music, Infamy and the Breed will satisfy your needs. It shows that Zonaria is confident and comfortable with what they do. It’s hard to believe that this is their first full length album.